Category: Farmhouse Living

Monte Rex
Farmhouse Living, Mr. Monte

Monte Rex the Wondrous Celebrates 11 Years of Majestic Reign
Monte Rex

Good morning, good people of the realm of Monte Rex. I, your not-so-star reporter, Old Fuzz Face, coming to you live (well, sort of) from the heart of Serendipity Farmhouse, where history was made and ice cream was served.

On this most auspicious occasion, we his faithful subjects celebrated the birthday of His Majesty Monte Rex. He is the beneficent feline sovereign who has ruled our humble homestead with dignity, drama, and a healthy dose of fur for the past eleven years. The halls of Serendipity still echo with the memory of his arrival on New Year’s Eve 2014—a young prince then, wide-eyed and whiskered, ready to claim his kingdom.

Monte Rex Reminisces on His Majestic Reign

In our latest video report, Monte Rex reflects on his reign with the gravitas only a Maine Coon of his stature can muster. He speaks of loyalty, naps, and the cardboard condos that have cradled his royal frame through the years. These produce-box palaces, though humble, have become symbols of his sovereignty.

Presents Worthy of a Sovereign

But this birthday brought change. Monumental change. Duchess Blondie unveiled a new royal residence—a plush, geometric-patterned condo designed to withstand the claws and charisma of our king. The ever-gracious Duchess led the ceremonial presentation. The unveiling was met with awe, curiosity, and one dangling paw. Yes, dear readers, Monte Rex is substantial. And while the condo may be snug, his heart overflowed with gratitude.

Before the unveiling, Monte received a new sparring partner: the Kong Kickeroo. With its giraffe-print body and fuzzy tail, it was deemed worthy of royal combat. Monte wasted no time in testing its durability, proving once again that even kings must train.

And then came the final tribute. A small bowl of vanilla ice cream—sweet, cold, divine. As Monte delicately partook of his favorite treat, the mood in the realm shifted from celebratory to serene. It was a moment of pure joy, shared between monarch and subject, cat and human.

Above all – Duty, Honor, and Monte Rex

As your humble correspondent, I must say: it was an honor to report on this day of cardboard, camaraderie, and catnip-scented diplomacy. Monte Rex reminded us that pets are not just companions—they are characters, rulers, and cherished members of our families. Through storytelling, ceremony, and a touch of theatrical flair, we celebrated more than a birthday. We celebrated a bond.

So from all of us here at the Serendipity Farmhouse News Service, this is Old Fuzz Face signing off—grateful to serve, honored to report, and ever in awe of the cat who reigns supreme.

Long live the King! Long live Monte Rex!

spring cleanup
Farmhouse Living, Garden Talk

Spectacular Spring Cleanup – It’s Serendipity

Join me (Old Fuzz Face) and Miss Blondie on a fun-filled spectacular spring cleanup at our beautiful 1.203-acre Serendipity Farmhouse estate! Watch as we tackle our to-do list of repairs, replacements, and maintenance tasks with laughter and teamwork. We need to spruce up the farmhouse and revitalize the vegetable gardens and sheds. I’m determined to impress Miss Blondie and earn her coveted thumbs up! 👍👍

Hi! Old Fuzz Face here. Our spring cleanup video is one of our least professional most unplanned videos ever. But we made it because some people have asked us about the ups and downs of farmhouse living. Well, it was a long winter and everything is a mess. We’ll have to fix and replace a lot of things. So, we thought we’d take you on a little tour around Serendipity. We’ll show you what we need to do what we’ve already done.

The Official SFH Spring Cleanup To-Do List

spring cleanup

About two or three weeks ago, we took our first walk around. It was cold and we said as soon as the weather gets warm, we’ll start to work. There were several to-do items that we outlined. In our video, we’re going review our list. As we go through those items, Miss Blondie is going to inspect the work that I’ve already done. I know she’s going to give me thumbs up and gold stars and everything because. She’s always very pleased with everything I do.

It’s All Serendipity

Oh, by the way, this week Miss Blondie and I are celebrating our 53rd wedding anniversary. Taking care of this old farmhouse has become an important part of our lives. We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else or with anyone else. That’s the best part of serendipity.

So, join us on this little Serendipity tour and see if Miss Blondie is happy with my work and gives me her Blondie Approved thumbs up. 👍👍

ignorance is bliss
Farmhouse Living, Mr. Monte, Ol' Fuzz Face

Ignorance is bliss & Old Fuzz Face is the most blissful human I know!

In this post and video, Mr. Monte reflects upon the concept of ‘ignorance is bliss’ through the lens of his experiences with Old Fuzz Face. Monte believes Fuzzy embodies true ignorance induced bliss.

“Ignorance is bliss” – Is it true?

Hi. Mister Monte here. Here’s a question for my 23,417 faithful, feline followers:

Is the adage “Ignorance is bliss” true?

After watching Old Fuzz Face move firewood today, I’m convinced that it is. – In fact, I’m convinced that Fuzzy is the most blissful human I know.

As this post and the linked video show, Fuzzy knows that there’s a problem with his method of moving wood to the shed, but because Fuzzy is Fuzzy, he just doesn’t understand how he can solve his problem.

Wood Trek – Capt. Fuzzy & the Wood Ship Cub Cadet

Captain Fuzzy starts off by discussing the effort involved in transporting wood to the woodshed. He emphasizes the distance and difficulty of the task. Despite the cold weather, he prepares for the long trip, showing his determination to complete the mission.

ignorance is bliss

Old Fuzz Face expresses frustration about the long journey through rugged terrain, wishing for a quicker route while navigating through challenging landscapes. He describes the journey as lengthy and arduous. He’s concerned about the wild and rugged nature of the surroundings. Fuzzy is especially worried about having to navigate through a treacherous gully, and he knows there are even greater challenges ahead. – If only there were a a shorter and more efficient path.

Wood Fleet Command Critiques Captain Fuzzy’s Mission

Well, once again Old Fuzz Face has proven that he’s not the sharpest claw on the paw.
When you watch the video you will see Fuzzy’s path from the wood pile to the woodshed.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or even an amazingly brilliant Maine Coon cat like me, to see the way he should have solved the problem.

ignorance is bless

Here’s the wood pile and here’s the woodshed.
In Euclidean geometry, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This is known as the line segment connecting the two points.

My human, Old Fuzz Face, is not a problem solver. He’s a problem maker. But one must admit he’s a master of Fuzzy Math when it comes to moving firewood.


As I said before, ignorance is bliss, and Fuzzy is the most blissful human I know.

Note: Not all firewood moving events are as distressing as the one described above. See our post How to Have a Firewood Party.

Farmhouse Living, Preserved Foods, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, Test Kitchen

What are the 6 important preserving skills?

After harvesting and processing, the next step in a successful winter food prep is making use of preserving skills. This is key in ensuring that favorite summer foods will be there during the coming months. So, let’s talk a little about the preserving methods we used here at Serendipity Farmhouse during the week of September 15th.

Farmhouse Food Skills Category 3 – Preserving

preserving skills

Hi! Old Fuzz Face here. In the first two posts of this winter food prep series, we talked about where we get our winter food and the farmhouse food skills we use to process it. But that’s just the beginning of our winter food prep. There’s another set of food skills we’ve learned that helps us preserve the food we’ve processed.

Food Preserving Skills

Q – Okay, now that we’ve processed our raw ingredients, what do we do to preserve different types of farmhouse food products?

A – We employ a variety of techniques to extend the shelf life of food, such as canning, dehydrating, fermenting, freezing, and vacuum sealing herbs and other food products. In the future, we hope to explore smoking and other traditional techniques.

You can find any number of lists describing skills needed for preserving food. The lists pretty much agree on primary techniques, but it’s hard to find a single standard list. In our list of six preserving techniques, we show the ones that are important for us here at SFH. For other folks, the list will be different.

6 Important Preserving Skills

TechniqueDescription
CanningPreserves fruits, vegetables, and meats by sealing them in jars and heating to kill bacteria. This technique is vital for ensuring long-term storage without refrigeration while retaining nutritional value and flavor.
DehydratingRemoves moisture to prevent spoilage. This is essential for preserving herbs, fruits, and vegetables, making them lightweight, compact, and easy to store, with a long shelf life.
FermentingUtilizes natural bacteria to convert sugars into acids or alcohol, preserving food while enhancing its nutritional value and flavor. Perfect for making pickles, sauerkraut, and other fermented goodies.
FreezingSlows down enzyme activity and bacterial growth. Freezing is indispensable for maintaining the quality and nutrition of fruits, vegetables, and meats, making them last well beyond their natural season.
Root CellaringUses the earth’s natural coolness for storage. This energy-efficient method is perfect for keeping root vegetables, apples, and other hardy produce fresh over winter. (We don’t have a root cellar or basement, so we have to use the coolest places we can find in our old farmhouse.)
Vacuum SealingRemoves air from packaging or containers to extend the shelf life of foods. This method is critical for preventing freezer burn and oxidation, keeping frozen and dried foods fresh for a longer period.

Farmhouse Preserving Skills

Here are some preserving skills we used during the week of September 15th.

Canning – Spicy Dilly Beans

preserving skills

We’ve been canning spicy dilly beans for three years now. It’s a great way to preserve those garden-fresh beans and to kick them up a notch. Sure, they can be used as a side for dinner. But with these spicy dilly beans you can also serve them as an appetizer or as a snack at lunchtime. It’s really worth the effort to can beans this way because it ensures that we will have a crunchy, tangy snack or side dish all year-round.

See our post Spicy Dilly Beans @ Serendipity Farmhouse for the recipe.

Dehydrating – Sage

Sage is an essential herb for adding flavor to dishes. Dehydrating this herb takes little time and it’s about as easy as it gets. Now that we’ve started dehydrating products from our own gardens, we can be sure that we always have a supply of aromatic, home-grown herbs to season the foods cooked in the soon-to-be-world-famous SFH Test Kitchen.

For some background on our work with herbs, see SFH-TK SKills – Herbs.

Dehydrating – Tomatoes

preserving skills

This is our first year dehydrating tomatoes. We’re compiling a list of ways that we can use them in various recipes. They reconstitute easily and they’re going to be found on top of our pizzas and in clam chowder and other dishes. Looking further into the future, we expect to turn some of our dried tomatoes in tomato powder for making tomato paste, tomato sauce, and other basic tomato products.

As we see it, dehydrating tomatoes is a way to preserve summer’s sweetness for those colder months. It’s a great way get the most from our summer garden.

Fermenting – Cucumbers

Fermenting cucumbers, or making pickles, is an excellent way to add tangy, probiotic-rich foods to our diet. During the summer we get a large number of cucumbers from our CSA. In fact, we get more than we can use during a normal week. Fermenting those excess cucumbers means we can preserve them for several months and use our own homegrown dill and garlic to add flavor. So, we end up with a healthy, flavorful treat that’s perfect for snack platters and sandwiches.

Fermenting – Garlic

preserving skills

In mid-September our homegrown garlic meets a critical point in its lifecycle. Without a proper cold storage room, this is when our garlic starts to go down hill. We’ve found a few good ways to preserve garlic from two to six months beyond this point. One way we used to preserve the garlic was in red wine. Now, we prefer to ferment our garlic. That’s because, not only does it last longer, in the fermenting process it gains the healthy benefit of becoming a probiotic.

Fermenting garlic enhances the flavor and gives it a little more kick. Now our garlic is long lasting, has great flavor, and it’s healthy. Who could ask for more?

To learn why preserving garlic is important to us, the our posts 7 Reasons Why We Want to be Garlic Self-Reliant and Garlic & Hackers.

Freezing – Okra

We dehydrate, pickle, and freeze our okra. But, we never ever ferment it. The one time we tried that, we regretted it deeply. So for now, freezing is our go-to method for preserving okra. It’s a simple, effective way to preserve this nutritious vegetable. Freezing okra ensures that we have a supply of this versatile veggie for soups, stews, and gumbos all winter long. Of course, frying is our favorite way to use okra.

For a tip on how not to preserve okra, see our post Report to St. Isidore – 2022.

Freezing – Crookneck Squash

preserving skills

Once you learn a preserving technique, you can apply it to a host of other food products. Freezing some veggies like okra is very simple and straightforward. Other vegetables, however, require an added step of blanching to lock in color and flavor. Crookneck squash requires that little bit of extra preparation. After that, it’s just like freezing okra and tomatoes.

You’ll really want to try this. That’s because everybody knows that by mid-summer they’ve seen too much summer squash and zucchini. Freeze it now, and enjoy it in February.

Farmhouse Food Skills Series

We hope that you’re enjoying this series of post and videos about farmhouse food skills.

For great ideas and ways to build your food preserving skills visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

farmhouse food skills
Farmhouse Living, SFH Food Talk & Recipes

How to improve your life with farmhouse food skills

How have my beautiful Miss Blondie and I improved our lives by learning basic Farmhouse Food Skills? – The are two answers to that question.

The first answer is quite simple. Our lives have been improved because we’ve learned and practiced these skills and techniques together. We spend our time together in the garden and the kitchen. We love each other and we work side-by-side doing what we love to do.

The 2nd Answer to the Question

The second answer to the question is more complex. This answer also responds to questions posed by my son-in-law, Andy, during a recent conversation.

Andy watched the first video in this series about Farmhouse Food Skills and he read the accompanying blog post. He told me that he realized that now was a good time for Daughter #1 and him to learn some of these skills and techniques. Andy noted that he gets more out of our blog posts than from our videos. He added that he wants to come over and watch us do these things in person.

Based on what Andy told me, I decided to change my approach so that it might be more instructive. So, I’m providing links to videos and posts that explain the “what”, “why”, and “how to” dimensions of the skills we use here at SFH. This approach will help explain how Miss Blondie and I have improved our lives by learning these skills.

Category 2 – Food Processing

Q – As viewed by the staff of the SFH Test Kitchen, what skills or techniques fall under the category of Food Processing?

A – For us, there are four primary skill sets and one general set in this category.

  • General: cleaning, chopping, grinding of any type of food
  • Routine Dairy: separating cream, making butter, and other simple dairy tasks
  • Daring Dairy: making cheese, yogurt, creme fraiche, etc.
  • Sourdough Culturing: creating and maintaining sourdough cultures
  • Spice Blending: preparing spice blends and mixes

Following are six examples of Farmhouse Food Processing Skills we used during the week of September 15th. I think you’ll see how mastering each skill has contributed to the joy we experience in farm-to-table living.

Making Butter

farmhouse food skills

Homemade butter is rich, flavorful, and free from additives. For us, it’s a simple process that connects us to traditional methods. Churning butter from fresh cream provides a sense of accomplishment and yields a versatile ingredient for cooking and baking. And, when we serve our fresh sourdough bread to guests and tell them we also made the butter, they always acknowledge that extra farmhouse touch. – And don’t forget, when you make your own butter, you also get to drink that delightful buttermilk that’s left over.

See our post Julia, Butter & Serendipity Farmhouse to learn how we make butter.

Making Goat Milk Cheese

Goat milk cheese is nutritious, easier to digest than other cheeses, and is often preferred by those with lactose sensitivities. We use raw goat milk to create our own cheese and cheese dips. We’ve found that goat milk cheese freezes quite well. So, we can have our favorite homemade cheese even when fresh goat milk is out of season.

See How to make Chèvre goat cheese! for the post and a link to our video.

Making Goat Milk Yogurt

farmhouse food skills

Goat milk yogurt is probiotic-rich and supports gut health. We culture our own yogurt to ensure freshness and to avoid store-bought additives. It makes a perfect breakfast or snack option. We’ve also found that making our own yogurt is cost effective. Of course, we can use cow milk when goat milk is out of season. Also, we’ve seen that some folks make yogurt using milk powder. The staff members of the Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen are planning to try that soon.

Making Mayonnaise

Homemade mayo is healthier than store-bought versions, as it lacks preservatives and stabilizers. For us, making mayonnaise allows for customization (e.g., using olive or avocado oil, or adding herbs). It’s a staple for sandwiches, salads, and dips. – Mr. Monte, our food quality control expert, is always there when we’re making mayo. He lets us know if we’ve chosen the best type of oil for the job.

Sourdough Culturing

farmhouse food skills

Sourdough is a time-honored bread-making technique. We’ve had a reliable, mature sourdough starter for quite some time now. The slow fermentation process enhances digestibility. Everyone refers to our starter by the name of Mrs. Patmore. Maintaining, using, and sharing Mrs. P has become a living tradition here at our farmhouse. Baking sourdough loaves brings warmth to our farmhouse kitchen.

See Sourdough Troubleshooting for a Practical Man for the post and a link to our video.

Mixing Salsa Spices

We preserve the summer tomato harvest by canning salsa. We used to use Mrs. Wages brand salsa mix when canning our 12-18 pints of salsa every year. However, now we grow many of our own herbs and spices. So, we came up with our own salsa mix that combines homegrown tomatoes, jalapeño and other hot peppers, onions, and a variety of spices. Our canned salsa, with it’s homemade spice blend is a flavorful addition to meals. But the real pleasure in making it ourselves comes when sharing homemade salsa with family and friends.

See our post How to Make Serendipity Farmhouse Salsa Mix for the recipe.

View the first video in this series of Farmhouse Food Skills here.

Be Prepared, Farmhouse Living, Preserving, SFH Skills

What Farmhouse Food Skills are important to you now?

Now is the time to sharpen your farmhouse food skills. Why? The harvest is coming in. Tomatoes, okra, green beans, jalapeno peppers, and many types of herbs. The seasonal clock is ticking. It’s time to prepare for winter.

For a practical man like me, and for a practical woman like Miss Blondie, that means it’s time to get to work. That’s just what we did, and that’s what we’re continuing to do.

Scale & Scope

As I’ve told you before, and as I often have to remind myself, Serendipity Farmhouse is just that. Even with its vast 1.203 acres, It’s still just a farmhouse. It’s in no way a farm. There might be enough land to support a small homestead, but Miss Blondie, Mr. Monte, and I don’t see that as our goal. Nope, we just want to lead a quiet, practical life, doing what we can and loving what we do.

It’s all a matter of scale and scope. In our case, we’re definitely a small-scale operation. We’re not looking to be entirely self-sustaining or self-reliant. And, when it comes to scope, we only grow the things we want to grow. We look to our local rural community for other things we need. We go to Reality Farm for beef, milk, and eggs. For the vegetables we don’t grow ourselves, we get them at our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

20 Farmhouse Food Skills & Techniques

So, considering our scale and scope, we may have more or less work to do than you do when preparing for winter. Nevertheless, over the last two weeks, we’ve had just about all the work we can handle. Consequently, there was no time to write posts or make videos. It was the Autumn crunch.

farmhouse food skills

In just one week, we could see just how many farmhouse foods kills were needed to handle our small-scale operation. We have a personal list of 20 essential farmhouse food skills and techniques. Miss Blondie and I used 14 of them to complete one week’s worth winter food preparation tasks.

We’ve broken that group of 20 skills and techniques down into five basic groups or categories. Let’s take a look at them now and see which skills came into play during the week of 15 September.

farmhouse food skills

Food Acquisition

Here at Serendipity Farmhouse, we have a general food acquisition plan. Because SFH is not a farm or homestead, we acquire the majority of our standard provisions from commercial outlets including Sam’s Club, Aldi, and Walmart.

We have the great blessing to live in an Oasis of Fresh Food. So, we obtain a large portion of our fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and dairy locally. Our main sources are: our local Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA), Reality Farm, and other local sources.

Of course our own vegetable gardens provide an abundance of our favorite vegetables and herbs. And we’re also learning how to forage for berries and other things. So you see, our food acquisition plan ensures a sustainable and diverse food supply. Of course, if the need arose, we would also include hunting and fishing in our plan.

During the week of 15 September, we focused on harvesting food from our gardens, obtaining vegetables from our CSA, and using goat milk from Reality Farm.

Food Processing

These are the techniques involved in transforming raw ingredients into usable food products, which may include cleaning, chopping, grinding, cooking, and combining ingredients. This category includes more advanced techniques like making cheese and yogurt.

Preserving Techniques

Methods employed to extend the shelf life of food, such as canning, pickling, fermenting, drying, and smoking, to prevent spoilage and maintain nutritional value are preserving techniques.

Food Storage

Food storage includes Strategies for storing food safely and effectively to maintain freshness and prevent spoilage, including refrigeration, freezing, root cellaring, and using airtight or vacuum sealed containers.

Cooking

Cooking is the art and science of preparing food through various methods such as baking, boiling, frying, grilling, and steaming, focusing on flavor development and nutritional preservation. Cooking from scratch and using seasonal ingredients make this a creative art.

Don’t Forget Your Wood Stove

As I said earlier, the seasonal clock is ticking. It’s time to prepare for winter. So, don’t forget to make sure your wood stove and chimney are cleaned and ready for use. Also make sure you have an adequate supply of firewood stored away where it is dry and accessible.

If there’s an ice storm or other winter weather problem, you might lose your power. But don’t worry. If your wood stove is working it will provide the heat you need and can provide an emergency cook stove to use until the power comes back. – It’s happened to us, and the wood stove was there to keep us warm.

Following is the first in a series videos that will examine four farmhouse food skill categories in detail.

Farmhouse History, Farmhouse Living, Mr. Monte

Can We Unriddle the Amazing Mystery of Our Brick Bar-B-Que?

A beautiful, handmade brick barbeque resides next to our deck on the vast 1.203-acre estate known as Serendipity Farmhouse. That brick barbeque has a mysterious secret. Perhaps you would like to learn what it is.

Hello! – Mister Monte here. Poor Old Fuzz Face had two big problems to solve. In our video, he will tell you about the first one, and I will tell you about the second. It’s an incredible historical mystery

Video Spoiler Alert

I urge you to watch the video I made. You might be surprised to learn that, for the first time in many years, Fuzzy didn’t mess up.

Proper Spelling of Brick Barbeque

Now, you may be wondering about the word “Bar-B-Que” in the title for this post. Here is what I found with regard to the proper spelling of the term for a brick structure used for grilling foods outside. Although some people use the spelling “bar-b-que”, the standard spelling in most contexts is “barbecue”. As you can see, the firm that surveyed our property chose to use “BAR B QUE”.

brick barbeque
brick barbeque

Fuzzy and Miss Blondie have compiled over 200 pages of historical records concerning the history of Serendipity Farmhouse. And only one of those pages ever mentions the brick barbeque.

The question of how that brick barbeque got here was a riddle without an answer. My two big cats were puzzled and perplexed by the mystery.

In 2020, however, the answer to the barbeque mystery began to emerge.

So, there it is for all of my 23,417 feline followers and for you few brave humans who have come to me seeking the truth, the whole truth. Historical research and a serendipitous communication solved the problem of how Serendipity Farmhouse has such a wonderful brick barbeque. – Watch my video, and learn more about just one of the mysteries from the past of our dear Serendipity Farmhouse.

Farmhouse Living, Garden Talk, SFH Food Talk & Recipes

7 Reasons Why We Want to be Garlic Self-Reliant

You might well ask, why would you want to be garlic self-reliant? You can pick it up in any grocery store. Why make a big deal out of growing your own garlic? Let me give you 7 good reasons why.

Hi! Old Fuzz Face here. Living in our nearly century-old Serendipity Farmhouse, with its expansive 1.203 acres of land, the pursuit of garlic self-reliance has become a tremendously rewarding and practical endeavor.

Before I give you our 7 reasons to become garlic self-reliant, let me make a confession. I don’t just love garlic (Allium sativum), I’ve spent my life in pursuit of international garlic adventures. Midway through my list of reasons, I will take a break to tell you about two of those adventures.

Our 7 Reasons Why We Want to be Garlic Self-Reliant

In theory, our 1.203-acre estate could support a great deal of agriculture. We could grow rows of corn, beets, leafy vegetables, etc. Unfortunately, we’re a bit past the age to keep up with such large gardens. Besides that, our soil is very poor in nutrients and very high in rocks. That’s why we have to be selective about what we grow. You can be sure there was never any question that Allium sativum would hold the top spot on our garden list. Here are just seven of the many reasons why.

Reason 1 – Freshness

Growing our own heads ensures we always have access to the freshest possible produce. Store-bought garlic, even from specialty markets, can lose its flavor and aroma over time as it sits on shelves.

We harvest our homegrown Allium sativum at the peak of ripeness and we can use it within two weeks of harvesting. We know it will retain all of its bold and pungent qualities. This freshness translates to a more flavorful culinary experience. Executive Chef Blondie will settle for no less.

garlic

Additionally, we’ve learned several different methods of preserving fresh garlic. We can preserve it in wine or we can ferment it. We even dehydrate it and make our own garlic powder.

Reason 2 – Cost Savings

Purchasing garlic from the grocery store can add up quickly, especially if used frequently in cooking as we do. This vegetable is a relatively inexpensive crop to grow, and the yield from even a small plot such as ours can provide ample supplies for a household. Over time, the cost per pound of homegrown garlic will be a fraction of what one would pay at the store.

Planting
Harvesting
garlic
Drying

Reason 3 – Garlic Variety

Commercial markets typically offer a limited selection of garlic types. They often stock only the most common varieties. By growing our own garlic, we’ve opened up a world of diverse flavors and characteristics. From the robust, pungent hardneck garlics to the milder, sweeter softneck varieties, we can experiment with different types to find the ones best suited to our culinary preferences.

Reason 4 – Organic Control

One of the primary advantages of growing our own garlic is the ability to control the quality and cultivation methods. Some store-bought garlic comes from producers who have treated it with chemicals. Sometimes, it may come from distant regions. This results in a loss of freshness and nutritional value. By growing our own heads, we can ensure that it is free from harmful pesticides. At the same time, we know our Allium sativum will be packed with the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that make garlic a true superfood.

Time Out For 2 International Garlic Adventures

South Korea 1969 – Kimchi and Much More

My very first international garlic adventure was in the late 1960s when I spent several months in South Korea. That was where I had my first encounter with kimchi.

garlic

China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of garlic. Some sources say Korea is number two. I was young and not prepared for the large quantity of this vegetable found in Korean cuisine. But I soon learned that garlic is a defining feature of most traditional kimchi recipes and many other dishes.

This experience was truly a delight to my youthful palate. Soon I became a denizen of the Korean and Chinese restaurants in that South Korean town. The pungent aroma and flavor of the garlic in the many dishes I sampled led me to seek out garlic-enhanced cuisine throughout the world.

Moldova 1994 – If you can’t beat them, join them.

I had a far more extreme international garlic adventure during a business trip to Chisinau, Moldova in the 1990s.

Picture me having lunch with a group of Moldovan business associates in a fairly high-class establishment. Imagine my surprise when we were served fresh, raw garlic and green onions as an appetizer.

garlic

That moment became a high challenge and test of machismo. Was I man enough to match them one-for-one on the number cloves I ate? I was! – All of us consumed liberal amounts. Needless to say, the subsequent meetings on that warm summer afternoon, in that very small, poorly ventilated room, left a strong impression on my memory.

Reason 5 – Health Benefits of Garlic

Allium sativum is renowned for its impressive array of health-promoting properties. It can boost the immune system and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Because we grow our own, we can be confident that it’s packed with beneficial compounds, such as allicin and antioxidants. Also, this vegetable has long been revered for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immune-boosting properties. This makes our homegrown bulbs an invaluable addition to our diet.

Reason 6 – Convenience

Having a ready supply of fresh garlic right at our fingertips has been a game-changer for the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen. No more last-minute trips to the grocery store for us. With our own garlic patch, we can simply step into the pantry and find what we need, whenever we need it. This convenience allows us to incorporate this superfood into our cooking more freely, elevating the flavor and nutritional value of our meals.

Reason 7 – Sense of Accomplishment

Growing our own food, like garlic, has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Yearly, we witness the transformation from a humble clove to a thriving plant, and then harvesting first the garlic scapes and then the flavorful bulbs. This leads to a profound sense of accomplishment and pride. This connection to our land and the food we produce is deeply satisfying.

Imagine our joy when we harvest our own fragrant bulbs, curing them to perfection. And the satisfaction increases when we incorporate our garlic in a wide array of culinary creations, from savory stews to zesty pestos.

Summary

After hearing our reasons for wanting to be garlic self-reliant, you might consider doing the same yourself. Miss Blondie and I hope you do.

Regarding my two international adventures, you might want to accuse me of being obsessed with Allium sativum and recipes using it. But I want to reassure you, I am not obsessed. It’s just that, for me, having just the right amount of garlic in my favorite dishes is a Way of Life, and I intend to be garlic self-reliant.

Until next time, Keep it Simple, Keep it Practical, and Happy Cooking!

veggie haul
Farmhouse Living, Miss Blondie, Rappahannock Neighbors, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, Test Kitchen

Fantastic Produce Cornucopia for a Practical Woman

Joining a CSA can be a great deal! Hubby and I have made a video of my weekly veggie haul that shows you why.

veggie haul

Hi! Chef Blondie here.

Last year, in our post Can Joining a CSA be a Good Deal?, we showed you the many benefits of joining a CSA farm (Community Supported Agriculture).

We are now four weeks into this year’s CSA season. We thought you might be interested in joining me as I head over to Waterpenny Farm to do my weekly veggie haul.

So, read this post for some background info. Then watch the video to see what one might find on a weekly veggie haul.

By the way, you might notice that I’m wearing shades in the video. Well, that’s because I’m still recovering from recent eye surgery and bright light causes me discomfort. I’m expecting things will be much better in a week or two. Many thanks to those who prayed for me over the last several weeks.

What’s a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a production and marketing model whereby consumers buy shares of a farm’s harvest in advance. In exchange for this, farmers commit to supplying sufficient quantity, quality, and variety of products. The consumers and farmers share the risks and benefits of food production.

If you’re interested in a how a CSA works, check out Waterpenny’s website here. Eric Plaksin and Rachel Bynum give a great rundown of how their CSA came to be and they highlight their service to the community. They also talk about pricing for shares and half shares, describing what products are available over the course of a season. – There’s a lot more to running a CSA than you might think, and Eric and Rachel provide many valuable insights.

SFH and Waterpenny – An Interesting Relationship

In a sense, CSA members support the CSA farm as if it were their own. That means, through the lean years as well as through the good years. And that’s been our relationship with Waterpenny Farm for the past 8-9 years. There are times when our half share overwhelms us. So, we have to give away excess produce to our children and friends. There are other times when we wish the weather had been kinder to our CSA.

But here’s the secret to what makes the Serendipity Farmhouse – Waterpenny Farm relationship so worthwhile to us.

If you’ve read our posts, you know we grow our own herbs, and vegetables. We can or preserve most of what we grow.

We know we can’t grow everything we want or need. So, we stick to our favorites – tomatoes, okra, garlic, green beans, and hot peppers.

love your garden

Although our garden production overlaps with what Waterpenny provides us, Waterpenny grows a host of other products that are not within our capability to grow. – And when we’re one pound short of tomatoes for canning, Waterpenny always comes through.

The bottom line is, come canning season, we have everything we need. There are no trips to Walmart for veggies during the summer. – In essence, Waterpenny becomes a virtual extension of the vast 1.203-acre Serendipity Farmhouse Estate.

What does a half share veggie haul look like?

I think you’ve got the picture now. By working with products from our CSA, we’ve managed to solve a large part of our original food procurement problem. In answer to the question “Can joining a CSA be a Good Deal?” The answer for us is ‘yes.’ As an illustration of that, here are pictures showing some veggie hauls from last year and last Thursday.

veggie haul
Typical Veggie Hauls

If there’s a downside to all this feast of plenty, it’s difficult to find. But when this much fresh food comes into our kitchen every Thursday, we have to plan meals to ensure nothing is wasted. It’s amazing how many innovative recipes we’ve developed to make the best use of this great bounty.

My weekly CSA veggie haul.
farmhouse seasons
Farmhouse Living, Mr. Monte

Farmhouse Seasons – My Feline Cerebration

Farmhouse seasons parade by my life. Often they warm me. Sometimes they chill me. Thunder can be frightening. Too many clouds darken my day. But, when you’re the farmhouse cat, you have to expect it to be like that.

farmhouse seasons

Hi! Mr. Monte here.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve had the opportunity to address you, my dear 23,417 feline followers. Miss Blondie and Ol’ Fuzz Face have done their best to disrupt my quietude. And the weather has got me down.

Farmhouse Seasons – Problem #1

As to the first problem – Blondie and Fuzzy. They appear to be entering a new season in their lives. Their latest kick is that they now think they are great chefs and the whole world wants to watch them cook. They’ve even started a YouTube channel. I tried to show them how to make it all work, but they really are very slow in picking up how to do it right.

The bottom line is, they’re not paying enough attention to me. – They should know better!

Farmhouse Seasons – Problem #2

It’s winter in Virginia. I know, I know. It’s winter throughout the entire northern hemisphere. But, winter in Virginia, especially in the Piedmont, is particularly distressing. It’s fickle. No two days in a row are the same. Cold and rainy, cold and snowing – we’re right on the misery line.

– I hate living in a wintry mix!

Another thing I detest intensely is the roller coaster ride of high and low temperatures. How’s a refined feline like me supposed to know what to expect when I go out on the porch for a little relaxation? – If you take a look at just a few days in January, you’ll see just how crazy this Virginia winter weather can be.

farmhouse seasons
farmhouse seasons

Can you guess which day I was sitting on the wood pile soaking up the sun?

The Worst – Problem #3

farmhouse seasons

Dear feline friends, this, by far, is the worst problem. And it doesn’t matter what season it might be. – If you guessed that my problem is Fuzzy, you were 100% correct.

As I established in my post How to Have a Firewood Party, Ol’ Fuzz Face is an exceptionally lazy lout, especially when it comes to moving firewood.

During these cold days, it’s absolutely essential that a feline have a warm fire burning in the wood stove. – Well, Fuzzy has been rather derelict in his duties.

In the picture here, you’ll see that I finally coerced him to move some wood. He’s the lazy lout in the red circle. – I had to bite him three times on the ankle to finally get him to do his job.

As I said before, when you’re the farmhouse cat, you have to expect it to be like that.